Human Rights Day

When I was a little girl I read this book:

The Devil's Arithmetic

It is a story about a young girl who is the descendant of a Holocaust survivor but she doesn't respect her grandfather or understand why he is the way he is. One day she suddenly wakes up in the middle of a concentration camp. At the end of the story we find out it is a dream, but she was able to walk in her grandfather's shoes and learn. As a young reader I was able to see the holocaust through the eyes of someone I could relate to, and it was meaningful to me.

I remember having nightmares about the circumstances in the book, I remember crying through every atrocity, each one worse than the last, but most of all I remember asking myself, "How could the world have let this happen?"

This is not a novel question when it comes to the Holocaust (or any other genocide). The American troops who invaded Germany asked it. Writers, philosophers, psychologists, religious and political leaders worldwide have discussed & researched these events endlessly, offering up explanations and answers to the pressing questions, "HOW?" and "WHY?"

The answer came in June, 1965 when Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. gave a commencement address for the graduating class of Oberlin College.

"I am coming to feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than the people of goodwill. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people."

This is the answer to the Holocaust. This is the answer to Kosovo. This is the answer to Darfur. This is the answer to Tibet. This is the answer to every oppressive situation we have seen in our world.

When good people stand by, silently watching prejudice, racism, ignorance and violence, they are enabling hatred. It is as simple as that.

While we do not see injustice of this scale in our American home, we have our own oppression:

Homeless families & war veterans; Millions of American's living in dire circumstances in the inner-cities, having no hope of education or substantial employment; The hideous disease of addiction and substance abuse; Hate crimes; Domestic Violence; Gangs; The deplorable way women are treated in the media & even in the workplace.

We have a lot of work to do as members of a community.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I had the opportunity to attend and speak at Murray's annual Human Right's Day Celebration. The wonderful & talented B Murphy came to lead the choir in several gospel numbers, and we were entertained by the Elikya African dancers.

B Murphy & I

In honor of Human Rights Day, I challenge you to find dissatisfaction in your community. What do you see that troubles you? What can YOU do to make a difference? One person cannot fix everything, but if each of us find just one community service goal to work towards, soon we will find that our community looks the way we would like it to.

We must honor the legacy of those who have given their lives speaking out for peace, and we must honor them through actions, not words.

What can you do for others?